Better health starts with better feet. Surprised? As a neurological acupuncturist, patients often come to me for acupuncture treatment to help with symptoms of foot pain such as plantar fasciitis, heel pain due to bone spurs, or peripheral neuropathy symptoms like tingling, burning, and numbness. There are various types of foot problems that may affect the heels, toes, nerves, tendons, ligaments and joints of the foot. Among the most common types of foot problems are bunions, neuromas, and pain from hammertoes. But I also see a lot of ankle pain from sprains, knee pain, hip pain, low back and neck pain – often accompanied by arthritis – which can all be relieved with acupuncture treatment. But why are these symptoms so common and what do they have to do with your feet?
Foot pain is caused by a variety of conditions, most often improper foot function leading to poor posture. In fact, the most common reason for people to have foot problems is a condition called abnormal pronation, in which the foot does not strike and leave the ground as it is supposed to. Many people have this condition and often say they are flat footed or have ‘fallen’ arches. Footwear can also produce foot problems as can overuse from exercise and prolonged standing.
While there is no single cause for foot pain, the most common culprit is problems with the structure of the feet. But it’s not just your feet that may be affected. The feet should form a stable base for your entire postural chain which encompasses your ankle, knee, hip and spinal alignment. If your feet aren’t properly supporting your frame, trouble ensues up the line. In a perfectly aligned body, there should be a nice straight line from the ankle, knee, hip, shoulder, and ear in a stacked formation, one above the other.
Your Feet and Your Brain
Postural alignment is not the only thing associated with poor foot health. Your feet are important for brain health! Whether you’re walking, climbing, standing, running, or carrying things, your feet are your primary sensory connection to the ground, sending signals to your brain to tell you where you are in space.
Knowing where you are in space is called proprioceptive feedback and helps you to perform every function you need to do in a day while being on your feet. We have slowly become disconnected from this vital feedback due to modern shoe wear’s effects on our feet.
The Problem with Modern Footwear
Modern footwear is the culprit in the majority of our foot issues. Our feet are no longer naturally shaped like they were when we were toddlers. Look at any young child’s foot that hasn’t been pinched by modern shoe wear. You will notice a natural wide splay of the toes, with the big toe in a straight line from the arch. This alignment creates the ability to bear weight in a nice three point balance between the big toe, the pinky toe, and the heel. Now look at your own feet. Is your big toe in line with the inside edge of your foot? Or does it point inwards towards the rest of your toes? Are any of your toes bent [hammer toe] or crossing over any of the other toes [crossover toe]. Do you have flat feet? Ingrown toenails? Maybe you have painful feet, heel pain from plantar fasciitis, Morton’s neuroma, bunions, or neuropathy. While we may assume foot problems are part of life, they really don’t have to be.
Here’s a quote from an article titled ‘The Long History of Heels’ “Over time, shoemakers have prioritized fashion over function, which means they stopped designing the shoes to be comfortable or to facilitate walking. And this has, in turn, changed how humans stand and move, as well as how mobile they are.”
Most shoes have a narrow toe box, angling inward on the big toe side and the pinky toe side. Shoes that come to a point, even a minor one, pinch the toes, squeezing them together over the years. This sets us up for bunions and ‘fallen arches’. When your big toe starts to point towards your other toes, the arch can no longer flex properly. A lot of people use arch supports or even custom orthotics but the problem may have started with the abnormal positioning of your big toe and baby toe through years of wearing shoes with a narrow toe box. When your big toe stays in line with the inside edge of your foot, the arch is stronger because it’s in a better position to flex so you can step off on the ball of your foot. Realigning your big toe can often be achieved with appropriate rehabilitation. [1]
Another problem with modern shoes is that most have some type of heel, even athletic shoes. But your foot is level! Your heel and forefoot were designed to be at the same height. Once you put on a shoe with a heel, you tip the pelvis forward causing misalignment all the way up the chain. The result? Literally most of our common aches and pains and degenerative musculoskeletal problems we have. But that’s not all: feet that have lost their natural shape cause problems up the chain, weakening our ankles, putting our knees and hips in a bad position, and leading to spine problems later in life. When the spine becomes affected, so do the organs. This is because the nerves of the spine are feeding signals to all of your internal organs. The torso may appear hunched which compresses internal organs reducing optimal circulation.
Another big issue with modern footwear is the cushioning. By not allowing us to be in contact with the surfaces we walk on, we are robbed of sensory information from the feet to the brain. Proprioceptive feedback from our feet to our brains is essential for brain health in our older years. Without it, parts of the brain associated with balance begin to atrophy so that we are at risk of falling as we age.
Lastly, most shoes have a rigid sole which doesn’t allow for natural foot flexion resulting in tight, inflexible feet – a setup for achilles tendonitis, ankle sprains, knee and hip injuries.
Now granted, we have to wear shoes, but there are shoe manufacturers who have taken the natural foot shape into account. The kind of shoe I’m talking about is similar to going barefoot. Barefoot style shoes have a wide footbed to allow natural toe splay. Another feature is the flat sole, sometimes called ‘zero drop’, meaning they don’t have an elevated heel. Some shoes have a very thin sole to allow for increased sensory input (many barefoot shoes are so flexible they can be folded!)
Barefoot Shoes
Natural’ or ‘Barefoot’ shoes are shoes that let the foot function as it would normally while barefoot. They should have a wide toe box, neutral drop (no heel), minimal cushioning and be flexible (can fold/twist/bend). This allows your feet to feel the ground and push off naturally from the ball of your foot and big toe.
Barefoot shoes are available on several websites. The best place to start is at Anya’s Reviews https://anyasreviews.com/ She has written extensively on every type of barefoot shoe so you can find the type that’s right for you. Barefoot shoes are not cheap so if you’re on a budget try Splay Shoes https://splayshoes.com/. They even have shoes for kids. Do your kids and your grandchildren a favor: pass on this information and get them some naturally shaped footwear so their feet develop properly.
Armed with this knowledge, it is important to rehabilitate your feet, even if you don’t have foot pain. Multiple resources for foot rehab exist at minimal cost. The Foot Collective https://thefootcollective.com has great resources to learn about rehabilitating your feet. They have free videos on foot strengthening, stretching, and balance exercises with no equipment needed. When you are ready, they have some great items in their shop to further help you attain naturally strong feet.
For training in flexibility, balance, and strength I use a product called The Blackboard available at https://naturalfootgear.com/. They also sell toe spacers called Correct Toes which separate your toes. You can wear them while you strengthen your feet or while you’re sleeping or relaxing.
As with any new exercise, caution is advised. If you have foot issues, and even if you don’t, GO SLOWLY. A few minutes a day of exercising your feet as well as transitioning to barefoot footwear and going barefoot in your home is a good place to start – a little goes a long way. Build up the amount of time gradually to avoid injury that can slow down your progress.
Plantar Fasciitis
Below is a link for a sports chiropractor who has a website on healing plantar fasciitis. She specializes in gait correction. She goes against the conventional wisdom of arch support, cushioning, rest and ice and advocates barefoot style shoes. Please listen to your body. If you decide to adopt this healing method, go very slowly. If you are in pain, wear support most of the day but practice barefoot and foot strengthening at regular, small intervals. Barefoot footwear transitioning won’t work without strengthening your feet correctly.
There are a lot of success stories for healing foot pain this way but you might need to wait until the pain is reduced before attempting to try it. If you do try exercises and they make the pain worse, stop doing them. Sometimes it’s too soon but eventually you are able to perform them without further pain. After strengthening and transitioning to barefoot shoes, the problem should never return. https://www.drangelawalk.com/
Acupuncture and Foot Pain
While you’re rehabilitating your feet, acupuncture can help relieve inflammation and reduce pain. By stimulating the nerves that go to your feet, we can often treat foot pain without directly treating the feet. At Inner Light Wellness, we have helped many people gain freedom from plantar fasciitis, peripheral neuropathy, pain from bone spurs, Morton’s neuroma and more. If you’ve been diagnosed with arthritis, pain from bunions, or other foot problems, give us a call. We’d be glad to help!
Diet and Inflammation
One more word of caution, diet is important with any type of issue you’re dealing with. If you have chronic pain, you want to get inflammation under control before making big changes. If you don’t, you may find yourself with increasing pain in your feet and body. For information on eating a low inflammation diet, please see our Nutritional Counseling pages for guidance on eating according to the principles of Chinese Medicine https://innerlight-wellness.net/nutritional-counseling/
If you would like more help with your nutrition, book a one on one call with Margaret for a customized nutritional and supplement plan to meet your health goals.
For some quick links to start on your foot correction journey look here:
Why Correct Your Feet?
https://thefootcollective.us/pages/barefoot
Strengthening your arch
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e2bCC_3qEbI
Strengthening Foot Flexors with a Band
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RakJ5fuBEik
Toe Exercises
Foot Strengthening with a Towel
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